Proper Boat Care: How to Store Your Boat

Did you recently make the incredible move of buying a boat? Or are you planning to move to a less temperate climate and want to keep your boat safe? Storing your boat is a big part of keeping it safe and running.

Whether you’re looking for a boat storage facility or a marina to dock your boat, storing it safely is crucial. There may be more options than you expected with boat storage, so weigh these before diving in.

Dry Versus Wet

When you’re looking for boat storage you will come across these terms often. Wet storage means your boat is stored in the water at a marina. This way your boat is ready to go or can receive boat maintenance when needed. However, your boat is also more exposed to the elements and if you live anywhere experiencing freezing temperatures in the winter, wet storage probably wouldn’t be the best option.

If you choose to store your boat out of the water in the off-season, it’s called dry storage. There are several choices when it comes to dry storage. And with these options, you’ll also need to think about the cost to store a boat, which does add up over the months.

Dry Outdoor

You can store your boat outside on land at your own home or at a boat storage facility. You will need to take the proper steps to protect your boat from the elements if it is outside. That means covering up anything that could be damaged by weather, including by the sun.

The cost to store a boat this way is one of the cheaper options, especially if you keep it at your own home, which is free. It does require you to do more work in protecting your boat and keeping it free and clear of mildew, leaves, and anything that could cause problems later on.

Indoor Storage

Storing your boat inside is one of the best ways to protect it from bad weather or other possible problems that the outdoors brings. However, unless you have a sizable garage, you’ll be paying for a facility.

You can store your boat in a storage unit, which offers a bit more security and is generally more affordable if you shop around a bit. You can also store it in dry-stack storage, especially if you know you won’t need access to it for a while. You can often find facilities both at the marina and elsewhere that offer great protection from the elements and keep your boat in great condition for when it’s time to get back out on the water.

Choose the Best Boat Storage Facility

Finding the right boat storage facility depends on what you want to pay and how much access you need to your boat throughout the year. Keeping your boat at a marina all year might work well if you use it often. But if you have to wait for the weather to change you will do better with dry storage of some sort.

You know your boat habits best, so if you choose your storage based on that you can’t go wrong. And if you found this helpful in making that decision, explore our blog for more great tips.